Preview: Kerala Blasters seek to continue winning run against Odisha FC

Both teams faced defeats in their last outing.

Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters had a dream start to their campaign this Indian Super League (ISL) 2022-23 season. They won their respective first matches, and that too in style. However, both sides faltered in their second game and had to taste defeat. Hence, the teams would be looking to bring their campaign back on track as soon as possible. Odisha is going to play its first home game on Sunday.

Backed by strong local support, the club would eye to get over their defeat against Mumbai City and try to repeat the heroics of their first game. Similarly, Kerala Blasters would also look to get over their loss against ATK Mohun Bagan and bring their campaign back on track by winning their first away game.

The Stakes

Odisha FC

Odisha had a very disappointing campaign last season in which they finished seventh. Despite having a star-studded lineup comprising of Jonathas, their season did not pick up and they had to satisfy with a mid-table finish. This year, the club should be looking to change its fortunes.

Nothing can be better for doing the same than their first home game where it is expected that fans would be flocking to the stadium. Moreover, a win in the match will catapult the team within the top four, let alone the top six. Thus, we can expect Odisha FC to leave no stone unturned to win the match.

Kerala Blasters

Kerala Blasters are the runners-up of the last ISL season. They will definitely love to repeat a similar performance this season and finish at least among the top six. Thus, every game is of paramount importance to them. Considered to be one of the most supported clubs in the country, it is imperative for them to try and earn three points from every game. Sunday's match will be no exception.

They will like to get over their dismal performance in the ATK Mohun Bagan match and push forward their title contention by winning Sunday's game. Furthermore, similar to Odisha FC, a win in the game will see the club climb toward the upper half of the table, a fact that Keralites will love to see.

Team News

Michael Soosairaj continues to remain out of the Odisha FC squad due to fitness issues. He will not be part of the squad for a third consecutive game. Apart from that coach Josep Gombau assured that he has a full squad at his disposal. Kerala Blasters coach Ivan Vukomanovic also said in the pre-match PC that everyone was available for selection.

Head-to-Head

To date, Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters have met six times in ISL. Among these, Odisha FC have won one match, Kerala Blasters have won two matches, and three matches were draws.

Probable Line-ups

Odisha FC: Amrinder Singh (GK); Shubham Sarangi, Osama Malik, Carlos Delgado, Sahil Panwar; Raynier Fernandes, Saul Crespo, Issac Vanmalsawma; Jerry Mawihmingthanga (C), Diego Mauricio, Nandhakumar Sekar

Kerala Blasters FC: Prabhsukhan Gill (GK); Harmanjot Khabra, Hormipam Ruivah, Marko Leskovic, Jessel Carneiro (C); Sahal Abdul Samad, Jeakson Singh, Puitea, Adrian Luna; Dimitrios Diamantakos, Ivan Kaliuzhnyi

Man to Watch

Diego Mauricio (Odisha FC)

Diego Mauricio has been one of the best strikers in the league so far. He scored a brace in Odisha's first match against Jamshedpur and displayed similar attacking in their second game against Mumbai City. Even though he was not able to score in the second game, he consistently kept Mumbai defenders under check.

An established figure in the ISL, Mauricio is widely known for his lethal goal-scoring prowess. He has 17 goals from 28 ISL matches. Hence, Odisha fans will be looking at him for getting their goals against Kerala on Sunday.

Ivan Kaliuzhnyi (Kerala Blasters)

This season's ISL started with a bang as Ivan Kaliuzhnyi began the campaign by scoring a brace against East Bengal. He scored again in the subsequent match as well against ATK Mohun Bagan. Therefore, he has risen Kerala fans' expectations who would love to see him on the scoresheet again.

Given his form in the last two games, it would not be a surprise if he scores again against Odisha FC on Sunday. The Ukrainian has already shown his mettle in his first two games and will definitely look to continue, or even improve, in a similar manner for the rest of the league.

Did You Know?

• Odisha FC was originally founded as Delhi Dynamos for the inaugural ISL season in 2014. After a bad response from Delhi residents, they shifted their base to Odisha FC in 2019.
• Odisha FC has never qualified for the ISL playoffs.
• Kerala Blasters have reached ISL final three times but has never been able to win the title.

Telecast

The match between Odisha FC and Kerala Blasters will take place at the Kalinga Stadium, in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, on October 23 (Sunday). The kick-off time is 7:30 pm IST. The match will be telecasted live on the Star Sports Network. Disney+HotStar and JioTV will also stream the match.